GTA4 is a few days away...
 

...and from the reviews I've read it's the best game in the universe. Lowest score I saw was 98%. Improved graphics, a truly (metaphorical) "living world", and a damned good story with a character we can finally care for.

That last part's the kicker for me. The main reason I didn't get any GTA games in the past (I played the hell out of them at friends' houses) was because I didn't really, I dunno, LOVE playing as a character who can only be described as a criminal. Now we have Niko Bellic, who apparently wants to get out of the criminal underworld. This is an aspect I want in on.

Therefore I am getting GTA4 on Tuesday or shortly after.

I wasn't all that excited about this until I read about the multiplayer.

Why yes, yes I do believe I want a sandbox open world where my friends and I can run around heisting banks and running from the police.

I was never really into GTA all the much mainly cause VC apparently wasnt so good, and SA was too hood for my taste, but this one looks kinda interesting. The characters at least, look like people I wouldnt hate.

I really can't wait to get this, wonder how fast the fastest car will be. Though the lack of planes irks me.


I assume you've never heard of GTA San Andreas then.

The problem with San Andreas is it's like, first he's out, then he's back in, then he's killing cops and chasing down his friend or cousin or whatever's gay prison lover on a motorcycle to shoot the shit out of him because he might tell people about it.

San Andreas was less about getting out and more about getting back in and then out again, but CJ isn't exactly the most sympathetic character. He's off killing people left and right with seemingly no remorse despite the fact he claims that he's clean and not a banger anymore.

Here's something new:

Jack Thompson does not like GTA.

Here's a little snippet of the missions. Note, there are spoilers in there. Ye be warned.

What I liked best about San Andreas is CJ's brother. CJ gets out of the hood, starts his own record label, gets a mansion, gets his own casino, makes contacts with big wheels in government and private sectors and has more money sitting around and rolling in than he could ever hope to know what to do with. He even uses his contacts to get his brother out of jail on what I believe was a life sentance.

As soon as he's out and finds out CJ doesn't want to go back and live in the crack house he's all

"CJ, YOU A BUSTA"

SA makes sense if you think of it as a stock-issue GTA game into which someone inserted a bunch of random-ass scenes from Boyz in the Hood.

Which is to say it makes no sense but you know why it makes no sense.

What I like is how he has to go kill Tenpenny himself instead of just sending any one of the people in his vast criminal empire to do the job.

I think if there was one thing I had to say I want out of a GTA game it would be working my way up to crime boss like you do in every game and then being able to just fucking send someone else to do whichever the fuck annoying shakedown or assassination or whatever needs doing. I want a game where I invite a rival over and have a pleasant conversation with him, and then leave the room while my associates slit his throat from ear to ear.

Although I'd settle for the street warfare setup from San Andreas except where the guys on your side aren't totally useless and retarded.

I might check this one out.

I hear you can steal cars this time around.....

San Andreas didn't have this problem nearly as much as Vice City Stories.

Seriously, right out of the gate it shows that the guy joins the army because he wants to get out of the thug life, do some good for his parents and his brother Lance, and try and get his life straight.

And yet you can walk out of the army depot, take a gun, and start killing random people if you want.

What's worse is that it spends the entire game explaining how he's just a victim of circumstance yet pulling people out of cars and shooting them while driving over Cuban gangsters and shotgunning cops all prompt one-liners from him. It's not even a conflict of character - it was trying to make a GTA main character a hero, which is practically impossible since the game relies on rampant unchecked violence as it's staple.

Carl seemed like a guy trying to do the right thing but he was just a complete sociopathic maniac, and didn't care who he crushed on the way.